Finance Minister Appoints Bagyenda On Board Of Authority Investigating Her

Finance minister Matia Kasaija re-appointed Justine Bagyenda to the board of the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) even as she is under investigation by the same Authority, something that riled Member of Parliament who questioned the move.

Bagyenda is also under a separate investigation by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) over allegations of illicit accumulation of wealth while a motion demanding that a Select Committee be set up to investigate the operations of Bank of Uganda and her role in the closure of Crane Bank is on the Order Paper, Daily Monitor reported.

the re-appointment of Ms Bagyenda has kicked up a storm with MPs questioning how FIA will conduct a comprehensive investigation when she is a member of its board.

Shadow Attorney General Wilfred Nuwagaba said the Appointments Committee should put on hold approving Ms Bagyenda until investigations by the IGG and the FIA are concluded.

“I hope sanity will prevail in the Appointments Committee to stay her vetting and approval pending clearance from the institutions investigating her,” Mr Nuwagaba said.

Buhweju County MP Francis Mwijukye, a member of the Appointments Committee, warned: “That is wrong. If they had wanted to re-appoint her to the Board, at least they should have waited for the outcome of the ongoing investigations. In my opinion, the appointment should be stayed until investigations into her conduct at Bank of Uganda are concluded.”

Ms Bagyenda will have to contend with questions regarding conflict of interest over how the FIA investigation into allegations of money laundering against her can proceed when she is a member of the Board.